Virus killing BioMask: anybody heard of it?

[D. Gale]

Just found this via a NewsNow search:

http://en.news2u.net/release.php?id=00009146

"Face Mask That Kills Swine Flu Readied for Fight Against Pandemic
April 27, 2009

HONG KONG, April 27 /PRNewswire-Asia/ -- Filligent, the
Hong Kong-based biotech company, is mobilizing stocks of
its anti-infective BioMask to help combat the global spread
of the deadly new Mexican strain of Influenza A. The BioMask
is the first medical face mask to kill the Influenza A virus
within seconds of contact while retaining the breathability
required by front-line workers and children, who are often
the first to fall in a contagious episode.
"Humanitarian organizations and governments are on the
front line of containing infection, especially among
children," says CEO Melissa Mowbray-d'Arbela.
"We're allocating our resources to respond to their
needs. The BioMask was designed specifically for situations
like this."

So I did some google-searching and found this pdf:

http://www.filligent.com/uploads/fil...0Summary.pd f

Frequently-Asked Questions
1. What viruses and bacteria does the BioMask detect, trap and kill?
The BioMask detects and traps most bacteria and viruses and kills them within
minutes. It particularly targets and destroys those that cause infectious respiratory
diseases, such as:
► Influenza Viruses - which include seasonal and potential pandemic strains
like H5N1 (bird flu)
► Common cold viruses and other respiratory viruses - which include
Rhinovirus and SARS
► Mycobacteria - which include the agents causing tuberculosis and their drugresistant
forms
► Bacteria-causing pneumonia - which includes Streptococcus pneumonia
► Measles virus
It is also effective against the germs that cause non-respiratory diseases, such as
MRSA (methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus), a leading cause of hospitalacquired
infections, and Herpes Simplex Virus. The active BioFriendTM textile is
shown to kill most germs within minutes of contact. For further technical details, see
Summary of Independent Laboratory Testing.
2. How does the BioMask work? What is the active ingredient?
In general, the BioFriendTM textile CAPTURES pathogens by mimicking the sites
on human cells to which they normally attach, and DESTROYS them by
disrupting their surfaces (viruses) and cell walls (bacteria).
Many viruses, including influenza viruses, are known to bind to human cells through
oligosaccharides attached to cell membrane glycolipids or glycoproteins, and,
specifically, to a terminal sialic acid residue on a surface oligosaccharide of the cell
membrane. The binding agent in the BioFriendTM textile mimics the binding action of
sialic acid on influenza viruses. This technique is often called ‘molecular mimicry.’
A safe component approved by the FDA functions as the binding agent. This
component creates a negative charge at the molecular level, attracting microbes
through electrostatic forces. Copper and zinc ions then kill the microbes. These metal
ions kill pathogens by disrupting their viral envelope and bacterial walls, as well as by
creating an ion imbalance in the bacteria or virus that inhibits normal metabolism.

As part of the CE testing process, the BioMask was sprayed with live aerosolized
Influenza A virus equivalent to 50 times the amount contained in a normal sneeze.
(Bird flu is a strain of the Influenza A virus.) The BioMask killed this massive viral
load, with more than 99.9% of the viruses killed after less than one minute. Tests
were conducted on other key pathogens, with similar results. In a direct comparison
between the BioMask and the leading N95, no surviving virus was recovered from
the BioFriend™ active layer after 10 minutes of contact with live Influenza A
viruses, whereas 50,000 viruses remained alive within the layers of the leading
N95 mask at the end of the same period.

This has CE (Conformité Européenne) certification, but not FDA yet. Looks pretty interesting.

[cubes]

CE means nothing, you can just self-certify that it meets the required directives!

[Ought Six]

I would not be rushing out to buy and stake my life upon a Chinese-made biomedical item. I also would like to know exactly what virocidal chemical the mask is treated with. They talk about "copper and zinc ions", but that does not tell you a lot.

[Potemkin]

Isn't this that mask we beat up at the other place? It ended up being a uncertified N95 with silver impregnation?

[D. Gale]

I think that was the NanoMask; this is a different one. I just wanted to know if anyone was familiar with it.

[BirdGuano]

This has neither NIOSH certification (respirator) nor
FDA approval as a medical device.

I wouldn't pay 2 cents for this thing until it passes some
certification testing.

[dreamseeer]

Couldn't you just take an N95 mask and spray it with both collodial silver and collodial copper (nanoparticle size)........let dry and voila!

I wouldn't trust my life on anything chinese.